


come down and waste away with me

by joshllyman



Series: sportsfest 2020 fills [28]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Loneliness, M/M, Mentioned Hinata Shouyou, Mentioned Kageyama Tobio, Mentioned Miya Atsumu, Mentioned Ushijima Wakatoshi, Nonbinary Akaashi Keiji, Nonbinary Character, Other, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:15:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25179022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshllyman/pseuds/joshllyman
Summary: While Koutarou is away training for the Olympics, Keiji is home, and missing him terribly.---“And that’s why you’re up at one in the morning when you have work tomorrow?”Keiji sighs. “There was a documentary I was watching, I didn’t realize the time.”
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Series: sportsfest 2020 fills [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789072
Comments: 10
Kudos: 87





	come down and waste away with me

**Author's Note:**

> sportsfest fill: [prompt here](https://sportsfest.dreamwidth.org/28104.html?thread=3264968#cmt3264968)

_ "In the darkness, I traced your back _

_ I remember its outline vividly." _ \- Kenshi Yonezu, Lemon

\---

It’s late, later than Keiji had realized when they finally dragged themself from the couch to the bed. They always keep a fucked up sleep schedule when Koutarou is away. Before he leaves, he always makes them promise to go to bed on time, and they always end up breaking that promise.

This trip feels worse than usual. Koutarou is in California doing a month-long training session for the Olympics. It’s the longest they’ve been apart since they got engaged. Keiji’s left hand feels heavy with the weight of Koutarou’s ring, and they lift it up and hold it against their heart.

They strip out of their work clothes and unashamedly steal one of Koutarou’s hoodies to sleep in. Koutarou gives them a hard time about that, too, but he’s not here to witness Keiji’s deviance. And anyway, the hoodie is bigger than any of his own, stretched out to fit Koutarou’s broader frame and thicker muscles, and maybe Keiji’s imagining it but it smells just a little bit like him.

They’re just settling into bed when their phone rings. The caller ID shows a picture of Koutarou’s face, and Keiji smiles to themself as they answer.

“What are you doing up?!” Koutarou shouts into the receiver.

“Answering the phone,” Keiji replies. 

“Isn’t it one in the morning there?” Koutarou asks, his voice quieter now.

“Mm.”

“It was a test, Keiji. You were supposed to be asleep.”

Keiji huffs. “I can hang up, if you’d like.”

“No, no, don’t do that!” Koutarou pleads. “Since I’ve got you, you know, we might as well talk.”

“We might as well,” Keiji agrees. They roll over and face the side of the bed where Koutarou would be lying if he were here. “If it makes you feel any better, my body is at least in the bed.”

“That’s a good start.”

“Mm. How’s it going?”

“It’s great!” Koutarou answers. “Tsumu and Kage-kun are battling it out for the starting setter spot, but me and Wakkun and Shouyou are almost definitely gonna all start!”

“That’s wonderful,” Keiji says, although they never had any doubt. “You’re playing well, then?”

“You know me, I’m playing the best.” There’s a thump in the background, but Koutarou doesn’t seem to pay it any mind. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” Keiji answers.

“And that’s why you’re up at one in the morning when you have work tomorrow?”

Keiji sighs. “There was a documentary I was watching, I didn’t realize the time.”

“Have you been sleeping at all?” Koutarou asks, his voice soft and sympathetic.

Keiji traces the outline of where Koutarou’s body would be. He sleeps on his stomach, face smashed to one side, which Keiji had thought was silly when they first saw it, but he seems comfortable, and it makes it easy for them to throw their arm and leg over him and leech his ridiculous body heat. They’ve spent so many nights together now that Keiji can see him in their mind’s eye, laying beside him, snoring softly in the darkness.

“Not really,” Keiji answers. “I miss you.”

“I miss you,” Koutarou says. He sighs. “Are you in one of my hoodies?”

“Yeah,” Keiji admits.

“Good. I bet you look cute all wrapped up in the covers.”

“I think I’m more likely to vaguely resemble a zombie at this point.”

“Well, I bet you’d be a very cute zombie. I’d let you bite me for sure.”

“That’s unsanitary, Koutarou, you can’t let me turn you undead just because you loved the person I was when I was alive.”

“Eh,” Koutarou says, and Keiji can see the way he’s probably shrugging. “If it’s not with you, life’s not really worth living anyway.”

A lump forms in Keiji’s throat that they try to clear quietly. Koutarou speaks to fill the silence.

“Two more weeks,” he reminds them. “We’re already halfway through. It’s gonna be alright.”

“Yes,” Keiji agrees. “Sorry. You know I get emotional when I’m tired.”

“You’re allowed to be emotional,” Koutarou says. “Therapist says it’s good for you to feel your feelings and express them in a safe and healthy manner.”

Keiji smiles softly. “You’re right. I’ll work on it.”

“Good. Work on getting some sleep, too, alright?”

“I’ll try,” Keiji promises. This time they intend to keep it. “I love you, Kou. Come home safe.”

“I will,” Koutarou answers. “I love you, too.” There’s another thump in the background, and Koutarou sighs. “I think Shouyou is throwing balls at my window.”

“Have a good day,” Keiji says.

“You, too, when you get up. Bye, Keiji.”

“Bye.”

Keiji sets the phone on the bedside table and turns back over. Koutarou’s pillow is a poor substitute for the man himself, but Keiji pulls it close anyway. In two more weeks, he’ll be home. In the meantime, they have a promise they need to keep. They shut their eyes and drift off to sleep, Koutarou’s laughter filling their mind.

**Author's Note:**

> title from Everlong by the Foo Fighters  
> socials at joshllyman.carrd.co


End file.
